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Winemaker's Notes

Gosset Grande Reserve is a truly faithful expression of the Gosset style. To achieve a cuvee of this quality, the cellar-master has blended the best of the various champagne crus at the grape- harvest with wines specially chosen from our reserve stocks for their richness and maturity. Powerful and aromatic, this champagne is ideal for serving as an aperitif or to accompany a very special meal.

Wine Enthusiast - "This is one of my favorite nonvintage Champagnes, rich and fresh at the same time, with a serious character that reminds you that great Champagne is a wine as well as bubbles. Complex, weighty and delicious, this is a Champagne that should be enjoyed with food."

ST91

International Wine Cellar - "Light, bright gold. Pungent, mineral-accented yellow plum, fig and poached pear aromas are deepened by vanilla and anise. Lively citrus pith and pit fruit flavors show impressive clarity and pick up a stony nuance with air. Shows both power and vivacity, with excellent focus and finishing cut."

CG91

Connoisseurs' Guide - "In too many of the wines reviewed here, those with special denominations and higher prices have failed to share why they are more costly. Not so, this wine. Its extra notes of baked bread are layered comfortably on top of crisp, vital, somewhat austere but always energetic fruit in the nose, and it follows with a fine-grained, pinpointy mousse and older, yet solid and continuous flavors. We liked both Gosset efforts and applaud the value they offer."

V91

Vinous / Antonio Galloni - "The NV Brut Grande Reserve opens with a bouquet of chalk, slate and wet stones. It is a beautifully pointed, energetic wine endowed with gorgeous drive from start to finish. Red berries, dried flowers and mint are some of the nuances that inform the finish. This is Lot # L0428123. "

Gosset Winery

Founded in Aÿ in 1584 by Pierre Gosset, Gosset is the oldest wine house in Champagne. It also remains one of the most prestigious, considered by many collectors and connoisseurs as the world’s preeminent name in luxury champagne. In 2009, this storied winemaker celebrated a landmark 425-year anniversary.

Gosset's reputation for excellence starts on the vines. Its champagnes are composed almost entirely of grapes from Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards. Unlike most champagne producers, this illustrious wine house purposely avoids malolactic fermentation and always performs riddling and disgorging of prestige cuvées and large-format bottles by hand. Gosset champagnes are made with infinite care and kept in dark cellars for at least three years – and up to five for vintage and prestige cuvées – before release.

Gosset's inimitable style – powerful and full-bodied, of unrivaled richness and staying power – has changed little over the centuries. Once a favorite of the kings and queens of France, it is now a fixture on the wine lists of some of the most lauded restaurants in the world, recognized by expert sommeliers for its exceptional capacity to enhance a wide range of cuisine.

Gosset's legacy is today in the safekeeping of the Cointreau family, who also owns and manages the highly regarded Cognac Frapin. While other champagne houses are handing over the reigns to large corporations, the members of this family are personally involved in the winemaking practices that have, over 425 years, made Gosset the ultimate name in champagne. In 2009, the family announced the acquisition of a new property in the heart of Epernay, which, with space for up to 2.5 million bottles, will serve as an extension to its production facilities in Aÿ.
View all Gosset Wines

About Champagne

View a map of Champagne wineries
Champagne is both a region and a method. The wines come from the northernmost vineyards in France and the name conjures an image like no other can. An 18th Century Benedictine monk named Dom Perignon is said to be the first to blend both varietals and vintages, making good wines not only great, but also special and unique to their winemaker. Today, nearly 75% of Champagne produced is non-vintage and made up by a blend of several years' harvests.

All Champagnes must be made by a strictly controlled process called "Méthode Champenoise." The grapes are pressed and fermented for the first time. The blending phase follows and the wine is bottled and temporarily capped. Then comes the second fermentation, a blend of sugar and yeast is added and, this time, the carbon dioxide is kept inside the bottle. This process leaves a great deal of sediment that is extracted through a process of "racking" or "riddling." The bottles are progressively turned upside down until all the sediment is collected in the neck. The necks are then frozen and the sediment is "disgorged." After this phase, the winemaker may decide to add sugar to sweeten the wine. Finally the wine is corked. Some wines move through this process in a couple of months, while others are aged after the riddling phase to build greater complexity and depth.

Champagnes range from dry, "Brut," to slightly sweet, "Demi-Sec." Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are used in Champagne blends, but "Blancs de Noirs" is made entirely of Pinot Noir and "Blancs de Blanc" is made from only Chardonnay grapes. The high acidity achieved by the northern location is crucial to the balance and structure of these wines.

Not every year is a "vintage" declared. In years when it is not, the wines are blended with the produce from other years to create the non-vintage blend, the house style that remains constant from year to year. But in a great vintage year, champagne houses will bottle by itself the unblended year's produce, and use other portions as "reserve" wines to supplement and enrich the non-vintage blend. A vintage champagne can age quite gracefully, and gain complexity just like any other great still wine.

Mild cheeses like gruyere and shellfish pair nicely with Champagne. Also, oysters and Champagne is a popular combination. A full-flavored vintage Champagne can go with almost any meal.

About France - Other regions

When it comes to wine, France is a classic. Classic blends, grapes and styles began in the country and they still remain. Think about it - people ask for a Burgundian style Pinot Noir, they refer to wines as Bordeaux or Rhone blends - Champagne even had to pass a law to stop international wineries from putting their region on the label of all sparkling wine.

The top regions of France are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Languedoc-Roussillon, Loire, Rhone. And these regions are so diverse! It makes sense that wine regions throughout the world try to emulate their style. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and
Syrah are no longer French varieties, but international varieties. They may not be the leader of cutting edge technology or value-priced wines, but there is no doubt that they are still producing wines of great quality and diversity.

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Crisp

Light to medium bodied wines that are high in acid and light to medium fruit. Typically no oak.